Folding umbrella.



J; SWINLAND.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11,1912.

Patented M3113, 1914.

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J. SWINLAND.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.4

APPLICATION FILED snPT.11,1912.

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Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

I. SWINLAND.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLIOATION FILED snPT.11,1912.

. 1,088,743. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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FOLDING Unna-ELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent. sppneeaen' area september n, 1912. seran ne. 119,737.

Patented Mar. 3,1914.

able' others skilled in the art to which it' appertains to make and use the same. U

M-y' invention, has for its-ob]ect to provide a simple and highly eiicient folding umi brella, this term being understood as applying to umbrellas inf which the ribs, cover and sti-ck of the umbrella are capable of being extended' and contracted, so that when the umbrella is folded it will occup much lessspace than an ordinary umbre a.

vGenerally stated, the invention consists of the novel devicesI and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

H itherto, numerous patents have issued on foldingumbrellas in whichthe ribs and cover are arranged to fold and unfold with ivotal movements on connecting hinge Joints.l As a radical departurel from this type of construction, my lmproved umbrella is providedmwith slidable ortel'escopically extensible ribs, and a cover is made 1n two overlapping sections, with the outer cover section arranged to slide radially inward and outwa-rd in respect to the inner or central cover section. The invention also involves highly important and novel arrangements of the umbrella stick and of the spreadersv and coperating devices, all of which willl be hereinafter fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters ind-icate like parts throughout the several views.l

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section with some parts broken awa. showing my improved folding umbrella openedup Fig.l 2 is an` enlarged section taken on the line :v2 m2 on Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line w3 :v3

on- Fig. 1;- Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing the umbrella folded withthe' arts thereofnot slid into the most compact ormg- Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 but withl the parts on a larger "s fcaleand withsome parts sectioned and showing the parts of the umbrella slid or telescoped in their most compactly folded lform; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view chieiy- 1n section and with the parts shown on a 60 larger scale than in any of the other views, illustrating the details of the construction involved in parts found at the upper portion of Fig, 5; Fig.`7 is a view correspond- 1n to Fig. l showing the umbrella partly 65 fo ded; and Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 but illustratin a different adjustment of the parts of t e umbrella.

The umbrella stick is made up of a multipliclty of telescopically extensible sections and, as shown, andn preferred,- comprises four members, 1,2, 3 and 4. The member 1 is a tubular rod having a suitable handle 5 at its lower end. The member 4 is in the nature of an extension rod and is telescoped 1 nto the upper end portion of the rod 3,.pr- Jects above the same, when the umbrella is open, and is telescoped into the rod 1, when the st-ick is collapsed to its shortest form. The member 2 is in the form of a tube 30 which is telescoped onto the rod 1 and is telescoped into the outer member 3, which latter is in the form of a tube and constitutes the body member proper ofthe umbrella stick. The body tube 3, at its upper g5 end, is provided with a rigidly secured cap f 6 formed witha sleeve-like hub 7 through which the extension rod4 4 is extended. This hub 7 is provided with aset screw 8 by `means of which, at will, the extension rod 4 may be secured to or made loose in respect to the head 6, for an important purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Pinned or otherwise rigidly secured to the extension rod is a disk-like so-called 95 crown plate 9.

The ribs of the umbrella are made in sections, there being, as shown, two sections for each, to-wit, a main or inner ribY 10 and an outer or supplemental rib 11. The main ribs 10, at their inner ends are hinged to Vthe crown plate 9 at 12 (see particularly Fig. 6). Both the main and supplemental ribs are channel-shaped in cross section, the flanges of the former being turned inward, as best shown in Fig. 2, and the supplemental ribs 11, at their inner ends are formed with heads 13 having retaining beads 1-1 that are arranged to slide within the corresponding main ribs 10 and are held 110 against displacement by inturned flangesof thelatter, which engage the contracted neck portions of the said beads, as best shown in he umbrella top is made up of two sec- 'is clamped onto the crownV plate 9 by a clamping ring 17 and screws 18, (see particularly Fig. 6). The supplemental top section 16 is secured on the tops of the sup plemen'tal ribs 11, by the usual or any suitable means, and its upper or inner edge interlaps the outeredge of the main top Section 15, even when the umbrella is spread or open, as shown in Fig. 1.

' The spreaders 19, at their outer ends are pivotallyconnected to the heads-13 of the supplemental ribs 11, and at their inner ends, they are pivotally connected to the sleeve-like runner 20 that is mounted to spread on the outer or main tubular sec` tion 3 of the umbrella stick. Said runner 20 is not fastened to or connected directly with the extension rod 4 which carries the' crown plate 9. As shown, the spreaders 19 are stiff that is, they have no joints and will not fold. Braces in the form of links 21 are pivotally connected at their outer ends to the intermediate portions of the spreaders 19, and at their inner ends are pivotally connected to the projecting flange of the head, which, as noted, is secured to the end of the outer tubular section 3 of the umi brella stick. The runner' 20 is provided with a bayonet notch 22, which is adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from a lock stud or projection 23 on the tubular section 3, byslightrotation of the said runner, in opposition to the normal stra-in put upon the said runner by the spreader connections. The said outer tube section 3 is provided with a set screw 24 by means of which it may be locked to the intermediate tubular section 2; and the said intermediate tubular section-2 is provided with a set screw 25 by means of which it is adapted' to be locked to the handle-equipped member l.

Rotation of the sections l, 2 and 3 or' the extensible umbrella stick is preferably positively prevented as follows: The handleequipped section 1 at its upper end is provided With a diametrically enlarged head having a longitudinal rib 26 that engages a longitudinally extended groove 27- formed in the intermediate tubular section 2; and the said intermediate section 2, likewise is provided with a longitudinal rib 28 that engages a longitudinal groove 29 in the outer section 3, (see Figs. 3 and 6). The outer tube 3 is provided with a spring latch -30 that is adapted to hold the runner 20 in its uppermost position shown in Fig. 1.

For securing the supplemental ribs 11 in their outermost positions on the corresponding main ribs 10, the heads 13 of the foriner are provided with laterally yielding spring catches 31 having` at their free ends finger pieces 32 and lock lugs 33. The said spring catches 31 are capable of slight pivotal movement so as to throw the lock lugs 33 into and out of alinement with perforations formed in the outerend portions of one flange of each main rib 10. Obviously, when the said lock lugs 33 are engaged with the perforations inthe said main ribs 10, the supplemental ribs 11 will be locked to the-said main ribs in extended positions. When this locking action is not desired, and it is desired that the supplemental rib sections be free for sliding movements on the main ribs, the said catches are moved pivotally into inoperative positions.

For a purpose which will presently appear, the hub ofthe so-called crown plate 9 is provided with longitudinally extended drip passages 34, and the extensible stick section 4 is provided with a cap that covers the projecting hub of the said crown plate, and is provided with drip passages 36.

The folding umbrella described is capable l of use in several different ways. In ordinary use, when it. is only desired to be able to open and close the umbrella, the supplemental ribs 11 are locked to the main ribs by the spring catches 3l, and the set screw S should then be'loosened, so that the extension rod 4 of the umbrella stick is capable of. movingendwise through the hub of the head 6 of the outer or main tubular stick section 3. This being done, the umbrella top and ribs will be opened and closed, by a sliding movement of the runner 20 on the stick section Under these opening and closing movements of the ribs and umbrella top, there is ya toggle-like. action between the spreaders 19 and braces 21, and this toggle action, under closing movements of the umbrella, causes the runner 20 to move downward and simultaneously therewith, the extension rod 4 and crown plate 9 to move up ward. Hence, it is possible with this arrangement to open and close the umbrella with one-half the slidingniovement of the runner, that'is required in the ordinary um? brella, wherein the said runner is the only member that moves longitudinally in respect to the umbrella stick. Of course, the opening movement of the umbrella is produced by sliding the runner 20 upward and the toggle action noted causes the crown plate 9 to simultaneously move downward with the same resulting advantages. Fig. 4 shows the position of the parts when the umbrella` is closed, by the manipulation just above described. The umbrella is then quite long, but when it is desirable to shorten the umbrella so that it may be carried in a small grip or in the pocket or other small receptacle, it is only necessary to release t e spring catches 31 and thereby permit the parts to be telescoped into compact form. When the umbrella is closed, as just stated,

it will be seen that the outer or supplemental ribs 11 are slid inward on the main ribs 10 to the inner extremities of the latter, and it will also be noted that the outer or supplemental top section 16 is slid upward wlthin the so-called inner or main top section 15. If the umbrella, while its top is wet, be folded, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or for that matter, as shown in Fig. 4, and then inverted, water will drip from the supplemental top sections 16 onto the crown plate 9 and from thence will run through the escape passages 34 into the cap 35, from thence will escape through the passages 36 of said cap.

It is sometlmes desirable to cause the main and supplemental sections of the umbrella top to telescope into compact form, each time, by the very act of closmg the umbrella. To accomplish this action, it is only necessary to release the spring latches 31 and to secure the extension rod 4 to the head 6 of the main stick section 3, by tightening the set screw 8. When this is done, the said head 6 will be immovably secured in respect to the crown plate.9, so that sliding movements of the runner 20 on the tube 3 will cause the braces 21 to act as fulcrums for the spreaders 19 so that oscillatory movements of the said spreaders will directly Aproduce the sliding movements of the supplemental ribs 11 in respect to the main ribs 10, and corresponding movements of the supplemental top section 16 in respect to the main top section 15.

This folding umbrella, while of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction, is efficient for the purposes had in view and enables the umbrella to be folded into very small space and compact form when this result is desired, but provides means whereby the umbrella may be ordinarily used like an ordinary umbrella in that the umbrella top will simply be opened and closed.

What I claim 1s:

1.In an umbrella, the combination with a stick comprising a tubular body member, an extension rod, the latter'being telescopically mounted in the former, for free sliding movement, and a handle independent of said extension rod and adapted to be rigidly secured to said body member, of a crown piece rigidly secured on the outer end portion of sald extension rod, a runner mounted on said body member for free sliding movement toward and from said crown piece, ribs pivotally connected to and radiating from said crown piece, stiff spreaders pivotally connected to said runner and to said ribs, and brace rods pivotally connected, at their outer ends, to the intermediate portions of said spreaders, and, "at their inner ends, to said body member, at a point between said crown piece and runner, said runner having its closest approach to said crown piece when the umbrella is spread, said crown piece and runner simultaneously moving in opposite directions, relative to each other, during the opening and closing of the umbrella.

2. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick comprising a tubular body member, an extension rod, the latter being telescopically mounted in the former, for free sliding movement, and a handle independent of said extension rod and adapted to be rigidy secured to said body member, of a crown piece ri 'dly secured on the outer end portion of said extension rod, a runner mounted on said body member for :free sliding movement toward and from said crown piece, ribs pivotally connected to and radiating from said crown piece, stiff spreaders pivotally connected to said ruimer and to said ribs, brace rods pivotally connected, at their outer ends, to the intermediate portions of said spreaders, and, at their inner ends, to said body member, at a point between said crown piece and runner, said runner havin its closest approach to said crown piece w en the umbrella is spread, said crown piece and runner simultaneously moving in opposite directions, relative to each other, during the opening and closing` of the umbrella, and means for locking said extension rod against movement in respect to said body member, substantially as described.

In testimon whereof I aftx my signature in presence o two witnesses.

` JOHN SWINLAND. Witnesses:

CLAYTON C. SMITH, S. J. Pm'rs. 

